It's Okay To Be Smart

A 30-year study by the Rodale Institute (disclaimer: It’s an organic research institute) found that the return per acre of organic farms was almost three times that of conventional farms, and yields were higher for organic crops in drought years.

Part of the gain comes from the premium prices paid for organic goods, but there’s still very meaningful advantages to farming organic:

• Organic farms used 45% less energy than conventional
• Production efficiency was 28% higher for organics
• Soil health increased over time in organic farming systems, as opposed to worsening or remaining constant for conventional
• Organic farms had less water run-off and recharged groundwater reservoirs
• Organic farms were shown to create more rural jobs than conventional

If these organic methods can be expanded to developing nations, the UN thinks that food production worldwide could double in 10 years.

The economist is set to lose funding from the Danish government due to what they call his “ideological” focus on problem solving.

He is well-known for his skepticism on the severity of climate change effect models, instead suggesting that governments learn to adapt to changing climate instead of preventing it. Recently, though, he seemed to change his tune, agreeing that the world was past the point when climate science was up for serious argument.

Looks like he had already made too many enemies.